Root of Evil!

Running Time: 89 minutes

Quality filmmaking finally returns to the silver screen after months upon months of superhero drivel. Surprisingly it takes a film from Iceland no less to set off shock waves in a Cinderella story likely to be heard come Oscar time. Return to not so sedate Europe to see two families go at its big time in Under The Tree. Prepare to hang your collective heads in Shame as you bear witness to two rivals going at it in a psychological game of brinkmanship. On edge you will be throughout this exceedingly smart thrill now confounding audiences at the Van City Theatre by way of Mongrel Media. Neighbors can be nice. Or not so nice. The latter type of housemates embarks on a slow-building collision course that has you wanting more. Small mundane irritants build upon each other until things spiral out of control. Caught up in all the chaos and carnage are the odd dog and cat and a little girl. You can sense the inner rage as two battling elderly women run rather Roughshod over their rather hen-pecked and shell-shocked husbands.

Good intentions go out the window in this brilliantly acted story whose peek into troubled souls scores high on all levels. Even though there are English subtitles which don’t get in the way Under The Tree is easily one of the finest films of this, or an other year.

(PG) ****